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R. D. DE LITTLE.

I v WHITE LETTER TYPE. No. 894,346. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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WHITE LETTE-RTYPB. No. 394,346. Patented DBO. 11,1888.

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R. D. DE LITTLE. WHITE LETTER TYPE.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT DUNCAN DE LITTLE, OF NEAR MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

WHITE-LETTER TYPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,346, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed August 15, 1887. Serial No. 247,045. (No model.) Patented in Victoria June 9, 1887, No. 5,121, and in England July 16,1887,No. 9,991.

To all whont it 71211.7 concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT DUNCAN DE LITTLE, a subject of the Queen of G'IGilll Britain, residing at. Allncss House, Dundas Place, Albert Park, near Melbourne, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented new and useful Improvements in \Yhite-Letter Types, principally applicable for printii'ig posters or panel lines, (for which I have obtained Let ters Patent in the British Colony of Victoria, numbered 5,121, and dated the 9th day of June, 1887, and in Great Britain and Ireland thellith day of July, 1887,No. 9,991,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference only to that class of wood types known in the trade as white-letter or intaglio types, that are empo yed for setting up complete posters or panel lines where the letter is to be white, or the color of the paper upon which the printing operation is performed, while the groundwork or surface is black or in colors.

Hitherto in this class of intaglio or whiteletter printii'ig one of its great defects has been that joins between the blocks, especially after they have been in use for some time, will appear upon the impression, and thus leave white lines.

Now, the object of this invention is to remedy this defect, and the special features of these types are that there are no joins on the surface between the majority of the letters when they are set up, and they are so cut that the space attached to the preceding letter forms the commencement of the following letter, provision being made inside of the recessed or inta-glio portion of the block whereby the printer may expand or contract the letter, as required. The letters are also cut so as to have no margins at the tops or botto1ns-that is, they are cut flush to the edges of the blocks and the tops and bottoms are formed by the groundwork or space between the lines of the poster, thus saving the long continuous joins so difficult to make ready at the machine.

The letters having no margins at top or bottom are sawed through from top to bottom into as many pieces as possible without interfering with the surface of the letterthat is, the groundwork.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood, reference is given to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a reduced copy of an impression taken from types constructed and set up according to this invention. Figs. 2, 3, I, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, ll, 15, 16, and 17 are representations of blocks or types constructed according to this invention; Fig. 18, a sectional elevation of the letter E in the first line of Fig. 1. Fig.1!) represents the letter D with its recessed portion sectioned with lines running in different ways, showing where the letter may be divided; Fig. 20, same letter flattened out; Fig. 31,21 sectional elevation of letter D, Fig. 20. Fig. 22 shows the type used by me.

In all the views dotted lines, either on or outside the letters, represent where the blocks or types maybe conveniently divided or sawed into sections without interferin with the surface or groundwork. These sections,for convenience of reference, are numbered 1 2 3, according to the number of divisions or parts into which they are sawed. The divisions or sections in the letters forming the first and second lines of Fig. 1 are respectively shown by the dotted lines extending beyond the top and bottom edgesof the figure.

a is the groundwork or surface of the block; I), the intaglio or recessed portion cut in the shape of the letter or figure desired to be formed, and r the space attached to the letter preceding it and so shaped that the edge forms the commencement of the following letter. In the alphabet of capital letters there are eleven varieties of shapes in the back or commencement of the letters; but the five forms illustrated at Figs. 2', 3, I, 5, and 6 will be found the most useful. The first will be the plain letter, as shown at Fig. 2, itself complet e without the portion of any other letter attached to it. These are intended for completing the first and final letters of each word; the second, the letter cut with the space attached, as shown at Fig. 3, suitable for being followed with an uprightletter, such as B D E F; the third, a letter with a space attached, as shown at Fig. 5, suitable for being followed with a round back, such as O G O Q; the fourth, a

letter with a space attached, as shown at Fig.

6, suitable for being followed by an inclined letter, such as A; the fifth, a letter with a space attached, as shown at Fig. 4, suitable for being followed bya letter such as T. The remaining letters, with the exception of S, are

so little used that it may be found unnecessary to have letters specially cut to be followed by them. hen they occur in a line, the plain square letter, as shown at Fig. 1, may be used to precede them, and they will j oin in the usual way.

At Figs. 7 to 17 I have shown a few specimens of letters suitable for joining to those shown at Figs. 2 to 4'1. 13, 15, 1G, and 17 will join to Fig. 2; Fig. 8 or 14' to Fig. 3; Fig. Q'to Fig. 54.; Fig. 1.0 or 12 to Fig. 5, and Fig. (5 to Fig. 2-3.

On reference to the drawings it will be seen that a ceriph, (1, may, when desired, be formed in the space attached to the letter, as shown at Figs. 3, G, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, and 20, while a portion of the succeeding letter may, if necessary, be formed in the space, as shown at Figs. at, 5, and 17; and by forming letters 2 5 in this manner it will readily be understood that the parts of the blocks where the letters touch each other would in the majority of cases when they are set upbe below the surface a and in the intaglio or recesses 11,

thus reducing to a minimum, as will be seen hereinafter, the number of joins that might possibly leave an impression or defect on the proof.

In order that the spacing out of the lines 3 5 may be done on the letter itself, instead of between them, as is the usual way, the letters or blocks are divided or sawed, preferably vertically orobliquely, into any desired number of sections in the intaglio or recessed portion Z), as shown by dotted lines in all the views, so as not to interfere with the surface or groundwork a of the letter. By this arrangement not only can a letter of one font be made to answer. for several different widths 4 5 as, for instance, a round Runic letter may be opened out to a fat Roman nearly double the width by the insertion of one or more clumps or blocks, 71, between one or more of the sections, as shown at Figs. 20 and 21;

but if a line be short each letter itself can be fattened out to the desired width by placing clumps between the sections. This is a great improvement over the old-fashioned whiteletter types, and even over ordinary types,

.5 5 for instead of making the line weak by spreading out it is actually improved by making the letter bolder. The spaces between the letters are so arranged that no matter how the letters may fall the line will be equally spaced throughout.

In order to save the long continuous joins so difficult to make ready at the machine, the letters have no margins at the top or bottom that is, they are cut flush to the edges of the -6 5 blocks, and the tops and bottoms of the letters are formed by the blocks 6 f 9, Fig. 1., which form the spaces between the lines.

Thus Figs. '7, 11,

At Fig. 1 it will be seen that with the exception of the A and N in the second line all the letters are joined to spaces with upright lines; but when it. is required to set up such a line, say, as Popular Concert it will be necessary to commence by taking the back (No. 1 of Fig. 7) from the plain P, then the remainder of P, followed by a curved line (such as No. 2 of Fig. 8) which forms the commencement of 0, then the other portion, Fig. 12, of 0, followed by the upright line to commence the second P. The single I, withouta space a similar block to that shown at Figs. 2 and 11follows next, as the U is the next letter, and joins it with the usual straight edge, shown atIFig. 1G, and with a space suitable for commencing the letter L. Take the L, followed by the commencement of A, (No 2 of Fig. 6,) then the A, followed by the upright line, as at Fig. 3, and finish the word by using the single R with the back. -Then insert a block for the space between the words, and begin the word Concert by takin the back (similar to No. 1 of Fig. 11) and follow with the portion of G and curved line, as shown at Fig. 10; then the O and upright line, as shown at Fig. 12; then the N and curved line; then the O and upright line; then E and upright line, followed byR with a commencement of T, (similar to No. 2 of Fi 4,) and then the single portion of T to complete the line. In setting up these two words there are only three joins on the surface between the letters-namely,

one between P and U and one at either side of the space between the two words; and although the same letter may appear two or three times in a line it will generally be found that they are followed by a different-shaped letter, thus preventing a run on the same character.

Although I prefer making the blocks of wood, as being the cheapest and most useful material, yet when desired they may be made of metal or composition.

In Fig. 22 the light section-lines I) represent the white sunk letters. The dark sectionlines a represent the surface or groundwork. The various portions of the letters are section-lined in different directions to show the joints. 0 indicates the edge of the type.

In conclusion, I am aware that letters or figures have been formed by building them up of smaller blocks, and each curve of a letter is formed by a single block, and have been previously described in the specification of British Letters Patent granted to Samuel Jones the 18th of August, 1885,No. 9,782; but to these I lay no claim, as they are not suit able for the objects I have in view-namely, the diminishing the number of joins on the surface or groundwork of the poster, as well as to prevent as much as possible the repetition of the same character in the same line. Further, I am also aware that borders have been constructed or composed of a number of recurring pieces or types, and also that it has been proposed to form large solid or orna- IIO mental surfaces by means of numerous small types in combination grouped together; but to these I lay no claim, as they are not suitable for the purposes of this invention.

hat I claim is- 1. A block or type for printing in the iniaglio or white-letter-type manner, provided with a spacing attached to the letter preceding it and so shaped that the edge forms a portion of the commencement of the following letter, substantially as described and illustrated.

2. In a block or type for intaglio or whiteletter printing, the combination of a spacing, c, shaped to form a portion of the commence ment of the following letter, with a block in which a recessed letter or portion thereof is out flush to the edges of the block without any margin top or bottom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In a block. or type for intaglio or whiteletter printing, the combination of a spacing, c, shaped to form the edge of a portion of the following letter, the sections in which a recessed letter or portion thereof is out flush with the edges of the block without any margin top or bottom, and clump 71 for adjustment of the letters, whereby letters of different widths maybe produced, substantially as herein set forth.

4:. In a block or type for intaglio or whiteletter printing, the combination of a block divided into sections in which a recessed let ter or portion thereof is cut flush to the edges thereof without any margin top or bottom, a spacing attached to one of the sections of the block, shaped to form the edge of the commencement of a portion of the following letter, and the blocks 6f forming the spaces between the lines, which also form the tops and bottoms of the letters, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

ROBER'IT DVNCAN DE LIT LE.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD WATERs, THOMAS SHANNON. 

